Now as the the High Holy Days approach, we all know that our Jewish traditions is filled with foods that have meanings. Below is the article I printed last year, and it has been updated with the current dates.
The Kitchen Corner
For our needs, we have direct prayers to Hashem that we recite daily. On Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world, the day Hashem finished the creation; our prayers focus less on our daily needs and more towards the greatness of Hashem. We acknowledge that he is our superior and we accept his rules and we accept his power of judgement over us as we strive to listen and follow his dictates. (If you want to see an illustration of this, just compare the Daily Amida to the Rosh Hashanah Amida.)
So while we do have regular needs and requests, as Hashem’s subjects, we acknowledge him as our superior and that we depend on him for everything. Even though the Holy Day Services services are focused more directly towards Hashem and less on us, we indirectly focus prayers in other ways to make our little petitions for our daily concerns. We use the traditional foods we serve and eat during this holiday season to express these needs. So below is a quick list of some of those foods and why….
A Quick Guide to the some High Holy Day traditional meanings of food …
| We .. | Why? |
| Avoid vinegar. | Don’t want a ‘Sour or bitter’ new year |
| Avoid nuts. | Gematria (the numeric sum of word) of ‘nut’ is same as ‘sin’. We don’t want to bring sin in the new year. |
| Eat round challah. | In this case, round resembles a ‘head’. We want to be like the head and not a tail for the new year. (Think making progress and not lagging or following). It’s also for a sweet year and the circle of life. |
| Have apples, sweet apples. | For a sweet new year, a harvest fruit of the new year, or a field of apples, which Hashem has blessed (the Garden of Eden smelled like apples.…) |
| Dip in honey. | Renew us for a good and sweet year |
| Eat dates (t’marim). | Relates to ‘tam’ or to ‘sheyitamu’ which means to end or consumed (indirect saying of may our enemies be consumed), sweet date honey, also one of the seven species of Israel |
| Eat fish. | Ever vigilant and swimming constantly links us to hopefully being constantly aware of Hashem and of opportunities |
| Serve a head with the celebratory menu (IE fish-head, lamb’s head, or if vegetarian, think cabbage or garlic), | Again, we want to be like the head and not a tail for the new year. |
| Eat carrots (gezer). | Sounds like g’zar which in Hebrew means decree
(indirect way of say please nullify any negative decrees agains us). Also is sweet when cooked (think tsimmes). |
| Eat Pomegranates (rimon). | Fruit of filled with seeds (indirect way of saying may you be filled with merits for the new year) also one of the seven species of Israel. Also seasonal fruit usually used for 2nd day Shehecheyanu. |
| Eat Beets (silka). | Sounds like siluk which means removal (may our adversaries be removed) |
| Eat leeks, chard, spinach (Karsi). | Sounds like the word kares which is to cut off / destroy (may those who wish to hurt us be cut off) |
| Eat fenugreek, or black eyed peas, or green beans (Rubia). | Sounds like yirbu which is the word to increase, (may our merits increase). |
| Eat gourds (K’ra). | K’ra sounds like the word for ‘read/proclaim’ (may our good merits be proclaimed before you) and also sounds like the word for ‘tear’ (may the our sentence or decree be torn up). |
Food events for Congregation Beth Ami, and the Beth Ami Kitchen:
On Selichot (Saturday, September 28th ), there will be food and drinks available to help us study.
For Erev Rosh Hashanah (Wednesday, October 2nd), we will be meeting after services to toast in the new year with honey, apples, home made honeycakes, and champagne. On Day One of Rosh Hashanah (Thursday, October 3rd), we will be having coffee and some snacks outside the Friedman Center and later we will observe Tashlich at Howarth Park’s Lake Ralphine. Then bring your simple vegetarian pot luck item (please follow the Food and Potluck Guidelines) to Beth Ami to eat, schmooze, and stay for Ma’ariv and Havdalah. After services on Day Two of Rosh Hashanah (Friday,October 4th ) we will be offering a simple light lunch in the Social Hall. On Kol Nidre Day (Friday, October 11th ), you provide your own pre-fast meal, but after Yom Kippur & Havdalah (Saturday, October 12th ), there will be a simple Break-the-Fast meal. Please, remember to RSVP so we will have enough food for everyone.
For Sukkot (starting Wednesday evening, October 16th) there will be simple onegs after the Yom Tov services. On Friday evening, October 18th there will be a Pizza in the Sukkot dinner, (please, remember to RSVP so we will have enough food for everyone). Also, on Sunday October 20th, (Sukkot Day 4) we will be restarting the Sunday morning service with munchies afterwards.
On Erev Simchat Torah (evening of Thursday, October 24th ), there will be refreshments and thirst quenchers for after the services and dancing and marching with the Torah and on Simchat Torah (Friday,October 25th ) there will be snacks and refreshments during the services and dancing and marching with the Torah.
There will be volunteers needed to organize, set-up and clean-up these events, if you are interested let us know.
I found some more interesting information on food traditions that I have added below.
Meanwhile, enjoy life and…
Shana Tova U’Metukah
~janet
Food Traditions for the High Holidays
|
Starting on 1 Elul (eve of September 3) |
Some cleanse the body with foods as well as the soul with prayers. |
|
On the 25th of Elul (September 28th) |
Celebrating the Day One of Hashem’s creation, some will have two special meals with meat, bread, and sweets. |
|
Erev Rosh Hashanah (eve of October 2nd) |
Apples, and Honey, A toast for a sweet and good new year. |
|
Day One of Rosh Hashanah (October 3rd) |
Tashlich Service (crumbs from pockets representing casting out or sins, bad habits). |
|
Erev Rosh Hashanah Day Two (eve of October 3rd) |
There is the tradition of having new fruit for the season (or new clothes) for the Day Two candle lighting to bring in something new for a Shehecheyanu moment. |
|
Days of Awe: Tzom Gadalia (October 6th) |
We lament the assassination of governor of Judah of that name, which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the First Temple. Fast from first light to full dark. |
|
Day of Kol Nidre (October 11th) |
The lesser known holiday, just as Jews must fast on Yom Kippur, they should also eat heartily before sunset in order to participate fully the next day. Usually, this is a two meal day, earliest one of meat, and the second meal that needs to be completely finished before candle lighting is usually high carb dairy. Suggestion is to eat less spicy, low salt, with fruits and lots of fluid and fruits with fluid. Highly recommended is no caffeine, no alcohol. Traditionally there may be stuffed foods served representing a hidden surprise before Yom Kippur. (An easy fast? A good service?) |
|
Yom Kippur (October 12th) |
Full fast from erev Kol Nidre to full dark of Yom Kippur |
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Sukkot (eve of Oct. 16th through eve of Oct. 23rd) Shemini Atzerit (eve of Oct. 23rd until eve of Oct. 24th) |
We eat in the Sukkah and for celebrations, serve stuffed foods celebrating the harvest season, and we are “stuffed” with the bounty of the fields. |
|
Simchat Torah (eve of October 24th) |
Think two challah shaped like torah Scrolls, or two stuffed cabbage rolls side by side to represent Torah Scrolls. |
